24. What is the total number of live children you have given birth to?

The group of questions from number 24 to number 27 should be asked of women 12 years of age and older.

These questions allow us to know the components of demographic change. When asking these questions, take special care when you interview women under 18 and single women. Explain briefly that this information is important for measuring the levels of fertility and mortality, and for that reason it is necessary to obtain it from all women 12 years of age and older.

Question 24.- How many sons and daughters born alive have you had in your whole life?

[There is a picture of question 24 from this section of the enumeration form.]

With this question we want to obtain information about all of the sons and daughters born alive, had by each woman, in her whole life. Include the sons and daughters that live with the mother, those that don't live with her, and those who have died.

Keep in mind that a son or daughter born alive is a being that, upon being born, breathed, cried, or moved, even though it may have died shortly after being born (even minutes after being born).

It is essential to emphasize that this question refers to all sons and daughters born alive, since some women (who have had various sons or daughters) tend to omit those sons or daughters who died a few hours or days after being born.

Once the person being interviewed or the head of household informs you of the total number of sons and daughters born alive, record the response in the boxes provided.

This question should always include information for women 12 years of age and older.

When they tell you that they haven't had any sons or daughters born alive, mark the box none and continue with question 28 about marital or conjugal status.

[There is a drawing of a woman pregnant with her first child, and the box for none checked.]